Real Stories in Emergency Medicine Part 1 Meeting our December panelists and diving into some real stories Nathan - EMT of 9 years Casey - Paramedic of 47 years Kierra - ER RN for 7 years Aaron (host) 15 years in EM as EMT, paramedic and ER PA Adam -  ER Physician with 21 years in EM Do you work in emergency medicine? An absolutely crazy and intense environment where you see things every day that a regular person doesn’t see once in their entire life? Do you feel burned out, unappreciated and like there is no one you can talk to about the things you are struggling with? Well you are not alone. I have a bunch of real professionals with real stories here with me today that can relate to your struggles. My mission is to share stories that will uplift, encourage, educate and help you not just survive but thrive in emergency medicine.  By the end of this episode you will realize that you are not alone, you can succeed in this career and can leave your shift without being beaten down and discouraged.  I have struggled with burnout, discouragement and frustration at many times and still struggle with it. My name is Aaron, I’ve been in emergency medicine for 15 years as an EMT, paramedic and now EM PA and I am the host of the Practical EMS podcast.  Everything you hear today from myself and my guests is opinion only and doesn’t represent any organizations or companies that any of us are affiliated with. The stories you hear have been modified to protect patient privacy and any resemblance to real individuals is coincidental. This is for educational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice nor used to diagnose any medical or healthcare conditions. The central theme of this episode series is stories. Stories are a huge part of our human experience regardless of your profession. They help us make sense of the world. Each of us is made up of our own experiences and stories. This is even more notable in EM as we see things on a daily basis that impact us. We see things that could rival even the most dramatic TV depictions of the ER.  This causes huge highs and deep lows in our own emotions and can cause us to leave work on to of the world or crushed under its weight.  Support the show